While riding a city bus, Katerina overheard a certain remark. She got off and went to the police station. The officer on duty told Katerina that the police couldn't do anything about what Katerina had overhead. So Katerina went to another government agency, even though she knew that it, too, couldn't do anything about what she had overheard.How come??

Was what she heard a threat? If so, relevant to whom? by whom? Life & death matter? Middling importance? Trivial (to most people)? The other agency: a 'welfare' agency of some kind (e.g. housing)? Or something else? Post office? School? Is it relevant that she is on a bus? Could this happen on a train? plane? just overhearing something on the street? Could it happen in a small town?

Does Katerina work at a government agency? Is it relevant why the police could not do anything? If so because Katerina could not prove what she overheard? because no crime had been committed? The slim chance of the catching the person who made the remark?

Did Katerina mistakingly think the remark constituted a crime? or did she believe she had overheard a crime being planned?

Posted on Monday, February 13, 2012 - 1:37 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was what she heard a threat? no If so, relevant to whom? by whom? Life & death matter? noMiddling importance? yesish Trivial (to most people)? to someThe other agency: a 'welfare' agency of some kind (e.g. housing)? noish or yope (It's not housing)Or something else? yesPost office? noSchool? noIs it relevant that she is on a bus? no Could this happen on a train? yesplane? yesjust overhearing something on the street? yesCould it happen in a small town? yesPeter365 (Peter365) New member Username: Peter365

Post Number: 3974 Registered: 1-2007

Posted on Monday, February 13, 2012 - 11:21 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Does Katerina work at a government agency? no Is it relevant why the police could not do anything? yes If so because Katerina could not prove what she overheard? nobecause no crime had been committed? yes The slim chance of the catching the person who made the remark? irrel

Did Katerina mistakingly think the remark constituted a crime? yes or did she believe she had overheard a crime being planned?see previous answer

Is Katerina's religeon, no colour, no politcal views yes or profession no relevant?

Is Katerina's nationality relevant? Is she a U.S. citizen? If she is not, and it is relevant, LTPF list of countries. Is anything about the person or persons she overheard relevant? Did she misinterpret something, i.e. take literally something meant figuratively?

Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - 2:06 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is Katerina's nationality relevant? yes Is she a U.S. citizen? noIf she is not, and it is relevant, LTPF list of countries. She's from a Soviet bloc country (when there was a Soviet blocIs anything about the person or persons she overheard relevant?b{ no} Did she misinterpret something, i.e. take literally something meant figuratively? noShez (Shez) New member Username: Shez

Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - 2:06 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Is Katerina's nationality relevant? yes Is she a U.S. citizen? noIf she is not, and it is relevant, LTPF list of countries. She's from a Soviet bloc country (when there was a Soviet blocIs anything about the person or persons she overheard relevant? noDid she misinterpret something, i.e. take literally something meant figuratively? noShez (Shez) New member Username: Shez

Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 10:55 am: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) on the bus was one person telling another about something they had done? no something they were planning to do? no something they wished they could do? possibly

something they had heard about? no

or was the remark something racist? no incitement to racism or terrorism? noany sort of hate remark?yes or yesish

or did the remark reveal something about that person's circumstances? noGregoryuconn (Gregoryuconn) New member Username: Gregoryuconn

Post Number: 1707 Registered: 9-2010

Posted on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 1:39 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Was it something about how they were going to say had diamonds in their wood, but they really didn't and just wanted their firewood cut up for them?no

does this happen in the US? does she overhear something tht would be a crime in her native country? or would be considered worth passing to the police? the kind of thing an informer would pass to the police? was she an informer in her native country? does she go to the second agency for the same reason she goes to the first? does she go to the second agency for her own personal benefit? for the benefit of society? does she learn something from her visit to the police that makes her decide to go to the second agency? did she learn that something that she had thought was a crime actually wasn't? was she relieved after seeing the police? scared? happy? sad? cross?

Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 9:25 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) does this happen in the US? yesdoes she overhear something tht would be a crime in her native country? yes or would be considered worth passing to the police? yes the kind of thing an informer would pass to the police? yes was she an informer in her native country? nodoes she go to the second agency for the same reason she goes to the first? nodoes she go to the second agency for her own personal benefit? yes for the benefit of society? no does she learn something from her visit to the police that makes her decide to go to the second agency? yesdid she learn that something that she had thought was a crime actually wasn't? yes was she relieved after seeing the police?yope scared? nohappy? yessad? no cross? no

had she herself at some time done the thing that she went to report to the police? was it hearing someone criticise the government? the president? say they belonged to a particular political party? did she go to the second agency for a job? to apply for citizenship? had she thought that she would not qualify for a benefit because of a supposed crime she was guilty of? but now she knew she would qualify?

Posted on Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 9:36 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) had she herself at some time done the thing that she went to report to the police? no was it hearing someone criticise the government? yesthe president? yes say they belonged to a particular political party? nodid she go to the second agency for a job? noto apply for citizenship? yes had she thought that she would not qualify for a benefit because of a supposed crime she was guilty of? no but now she knew she would qualify? no

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2012 - 9:44 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) So she thought criticizing the president was illegal? Yes. After all, it was where she came from. Now the puzzle should be a SNAP to solve. Why did she go to the Immigration & Naturalization Service to apply for citizenship?

Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2012 - 6:48 pm: Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only) Because she wanted to live in a freer country than where she came from? yes Because the only thing stopping her from wanting to be a citizen was that she wanted to criticise the president? no

********** SPOILER ****************** Katerina, a citizen of a Soviet block country, was visiting her aunt in America, Fluent in English but not very knowledgeable about the US, she overheard someone on a city bus dump on the US President. When she got off the bus, she did what she thought she was supposed to do: report the incident to the police. The officer on duty noticed her accent & said, "I don't know where you're from, lady, but in America it's not a crime to say the president is a jerk." After thinking this over, she went to the INS & said she wanted to become an American citizen. Sorry it was so easy, but please check out my brand-new one, which won't be. . . I think.